Maria Mongomo (#12) and the UNBC Timberwolves moved into the U Sports Top 10 rankings for the first time in school history on November 20th, 2018 after they improved their record to 6-0. (Source: UNBC) (Header: Guelph Gryphons Athletics)

SARNIA, Ontario — What a week it was across the U Sports women’s basketball landscape.

In Ontario, the defending national champions saw their lengthy win streak come to an end. The Carleton Ravens dropped their first regular season game since their opener of the 2016-17 season, and it was their first loss since their semi-finals loss to the McGill Martlets in the 2017 U Sports National Championship tournament.

Out on the West Coast, the undefeated UNBC Timberwolves pushed their record to 6-0. As a result, they were ranked 10th in the latest Top 10 rankings put out by U Sports, marking the first time in school history that the Timberwolves were ranked inside the top 10 in women’s basketball.

In Quebec, the top-ranked Laval Rouge et Or extended their winning streak with a win over the Bishop’s Gaiters in their lone contest of the week. Then, on the East Coast, a split was earned between the Memorial Sea-hawks and Acadia Axewomen, two of the top teams in the AUS this season.

It was an impressive week for several teams across the country, but it was also an impressive week for plenty of players in terms of individual stat lines. Player of the Year candidates strengthened their case by posting some big numbers, while others came out of nowhere to carry their teams over the course of the week.

Across the country, five players from each conference stood out among their fellow competitors, and those student-athletes make up this week’s edition of the Starting Five.

It strikes me that once again Marianne Alarie (Queen’s) was ignored from your starting five listing; this past weekend she scored 48 pts in her 2 games in only 38 minutes of playing time and short for more than 50%

No disrespect was meant to Marianne Alarie, and she definitely was not ignored as the Starting Five was considered for this week. She was on the list of candidates and was actually the last one left off the list of five, and it was due to some more balanced stat lines across the conference.